I did manage to install the new steering head bearings but it took all of one of my weekends; between stuck screws and the failure of my (almost new!) dremel tool, it turned out to be a huge job. Dave came over to help, and we installed the new stainless steel front brake lines during the week. The new tires got pushed back to the second weekend, along with the oil change. I had a little trouble getting the bead to seat on the rear tire that Sunday afternoon, because Erik didn't have the air chuck that works with no core in the valve stem. I had to finish on Monday after Erik went out and acquired this air chuck (thanks Erik!). I couldn't ride to work on Tuesday because I had to drop my sister off at the U-Haul rental place, so the tires were not scrubbed on Wednesday when I left. I silently pledged to be careful.
I had created a comprehensive packing list, which was good, because I didn't start packing until after midnight on Tuesday. Tuesday evening between work and midnight was consumed by reinstalling the Rifle fairing and fixing a turn signal that had stopped functioning. (A wire had come unplugged in the tail section. My high school English teacher would call this plot device "foreshadowing.") Fortunately I had the packing list, which made it very easy to assemble everything I needed on Tuesday night and stuff it into the new Givi cases, even though it was late already, I had skipped dinner, and I was stupid from exhaustion. I got it all put together and attached to the bike, and laid out my clothes for the morning. I was determined to leave town straight from my office.
I didn't go to bed until 3am, and I was too excited to fall asleep easily when I did get to bed. I must have slept, though, because I barely noticed when Michael got up at 5am to meet my mother and sister. Why was he meeting them, you ask? Well, about a month before my trip, my sister Anne announced that she was moving to New Mexico. When events conspired to put her into a U-Haul heading for that part of the country at the same time I was heading to the Waltz, she called and proposed that I put my bike in the U-Haul and share the drive down with her. I declined this invitation; what would be the point of taking a motorcycle trip and spending the first several days in a U-Haul? Besides, I was looking forward to the alone time. Michael took pity on Anne. He had been planning to fly down and join me at the rally, but he was willing to make the change in his plans and drive down in a U-Haul instead. Then my mother decided to join Anne's round of "America's Moving Adventure" as well. They would caravan to Las Cruces in the U-Haul and my sister's car. After unloading the truck, they would drop Michael off at the El Paso airport, where he would rent a car and drive down to the rally. After the rally he would drive back to the airport and fly home.
On Wednesday, I was to work a half day, and have the afternoon off. I planned to leave straight from my office. At 8:45 Wednesday morning, I had the Sabre sitting on the sidewalk in front of the house, fully loaded and warming up as I moved my truck and Michael's car into the driveway. I walked back to the bike and spied a six inch puddle of oil under it! Eek!
I called my office to let them know I'd be late, stripped off my 'Stich and helmet, and set to work on this problem. It turned out to be a simple one. When I changed the oil, I hadn't noticed this, but the adaptor-style oil mod had loosened, and when I put the filter on I hadn't tightened it enough to get both filter and adaptor tight. Oil was leaking from between the adaptor and the bike. I put an oil filter wrench on, and tightened it. It seemed to do the trick. I cleaned up all the oil, started the bike again, and waited until it was fully warmed up. No more oil leaked out.
I got to my office only twenty minutes late. Spent the morning in a meeting, and getting all the loose ends tied off. I needed to escape on time because I was meeting Doug Grosjean for lunch on my way south. Even so, it took me a half hour longer than it should have taken to escape.
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